<p>The last time I did this I had some numbers plugged in incorrectly and also failed to explain some pretty critical things. So I'm gonna try this again, and do it in a much more cohesive fashion.</p>
<p>ABOUT ME:
-1st generation American citizen, born in India
-Father went to MIT Sloan School for Masters degree and Harvard for second Masters degree
-Currently a junior at an elite public school in NJ that's ranked near top of state in various criteria especially math/science; school does NOT do A+
-Desired field is probably biotechnology or theoretical physics
-Schools I'd love to get into (as in targets/reaches) in no particular order: </p>
<p>--Northwestern
--Johns Hopkins
--UPenn
--Dartmouth
--Williams
--Columbia
--Possibly Cornell
--UCLA
--Harvard (if I feel like shooting REALLY high)</p>
<p>GRADES (I calculated unweighted GPA myself; my school doesn't report it):
-Freshman year: B+ in Environmental Science Honors, B+ in Geometry CP1, A- in Modern World History Honors, A- in French 2 Honors, A- in English 1 Honors for a 3.62 unweighted GPA and 4.01 weighted GPA
-Sophomore year: A- in Biology Honors, A in Algebra 2 CP1, A- in AP US History I, A- in French 3 Honors, A in English 2 Honors for a 3.85 unweighted GPA and 4.42 weighted GPA
-Junior year: A- in Chemistry Honors, B+ in Precalculus Honors, A- in AP US History II, A- in French 4 Honors, A- in AP English 3, A in AP Environmental Science, A in AP Statistics for a 3.78 unweighted GPA and 4.72 weighted GPA
-Senior year: AP Biology, AP Calculus AB, AP European History, AP French, English 4 Honors, Organic Chemistry, Bio-nuclear Chemistry, AP Physics B</p>
<p>Just to provide a frame of reference, my cumulative weighted GPA going into senior year is about a 4.39 or so; this is AT OR ABOVE the average weighted GPA of students from my high school accepted to all the universities/colleges above except Harvard.</p>
<p>SCORES (95th percentile and up on everything here):
-PSAT: 233 (80 reading, 78 math, 75 writing)
-SAT Reasoning Test: 2380 (800 math, 800 writing w/ a 12 essay, 780 reading)
-SAT II Biology: 760
-SAT II Literature: 780
-SAT II United States History: 800
-SAT II Math II: 770
-SAT II Chemistry: 800</p>
<p>-AP Environmental Science: 5
-AP Statistics: 5
-AP US History: 5</p>
<p>HONORS:
-National Honor Society
-National Science Honor Society
-National French Honor Society
-National Merit Finalist (very likely, but those aren't released 'til fall 2011; I am definitely at least a Semifinalist)
-Cornell Book Award
-JHU National Talent Search participant in 8th grade</p>
<p>EXTRACURRICULARS:
-Researcher at Environmental Genetics Institute, a nonprofit organization at Boston College composed of professors and interested students whose mission is to apply cutting-edge genomic technologies to obtain basic information on genomics and environmental interactions of species that will support the conservation of natural populations and further the development of cost-effective and environmentally-sensitive agriculture (paraphrased from their website). Only person in the entire Institute who is not a postgraduate student or higher.
--Volunteer breaks to intern at the Institute headquartered at Hake Labs at Boston College using advanced biotechnologies to help research
--Coauthor periodic research papers with other members that are published in nationally recognized science journals
--Will have spent 2 summers abroad with EGI, usually in Asian or Latin American countries (2010 is Ecuador, 2009 was Thailand) collecting animal samples with the Institute during July and spending the first half of August doing lab work, results are published in research papers.</p>
<p>-Volunteer weekends at gurudwara (place of worship of Punjabi Sikhs) cleaning and preparing meals and also teaching children written Punjabi (I am fluent)</p>
<p>-Humor editor/contributor for school newspaper</p>
<p>-Spent three summers, 7th through 9th grades, at Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (8th was at the JHU campus itself) taking high school and AP level courses in physics, civics, and calculus</p>
<p>-Co-captain of chess team, co-president of chess club</p>
<p>SUBJECTIVE:
-Freshman year I had multiple deaths in my family and missed a lot of school; junior year my immediate family had health issues, both of which kind of caused an adverse impact. This will be explained in my guidance counselor's recommendation, but she'll mention such things as strength of character, optimism, and sense of humor, highlighting the fact that I never let any despair show during school.
-Will get phenomenal recommendations from AP English 3 teacher and AP Bio teacher, possibly AP French teacher as well; guidance counselor's recommendation will be glowing with praise.
-Will write excellent essays because I excel at creative writing.</p>
<p>So THIS is a much more complete version of the previous one, addressing all concerns relative to college. Chances and constructive criticism--or even just criticism, as long as it's specific--are hugely appreciated. The two schools on that list I'm most determined to get into are Dartmouth and UPenn, but any of those schools accepting me would be great. Anything to alleviate the stress! Thanks in advance!</p>
but thanks for the chance!</p>